Our story

The Wake Up Foundation and the Wake Up Europe! campaign were launched by lifelong international journalists Annalisa Piras and Bill Emmott in response to the overwhelming reaction of civil society and ordinary citizens across Europe to the pair’s first documentary ‘Girlfriend in a Coma’ (2013).

The Rome premiere of ‘Girlfriend in a Coma’ at the MAXXI Museum was cancelled at the last minute quoting the risk of “interference” with the Italian national elections in February 2013. This prompted an unexpected cult following among young people, who gathered over 30,000 signatures in a petition against the museum’s decision. This outpouring of support and civil engagement convinced Piras and Emmott of the need and appetite for further debate and discussion prompted by journalistic films. It was thus that the Wake Up Europe! campaign was born.

Following the success of ‘Girlfriend in a Coma,’ Piras and Emmott’s second docu-drama, ‘The Great European Disaster Movie,’ released in 2015, explored the identity crisis of current-day Europe and the complex challenges that are mounting against the Union’s survival.

Wake Up Europe! hosted over 150 offline and online screenings of the film in some of the most prestigious universities, cultural institutions and ordinary citizens establishments all across Europe.

Today, Wake Up Europe is re-launching its campaign with Europe At Sea, Piras’ third documentary. This film examines whether Europe is capable – and willing – to combat the myriad security and humanitarian challenges within and beyond its borders, and obtained unprecedented access to HRVP Federica Mogherini, the chief of EU Foreign and Security Policy at a pivotal moment of European history.

Share this page

About

Wake Up Europe! is owned and produced by The Wake Up Foundation, a charity dedicated to public education about the dangerous trends in western, advanced open societies and how those trends can be countered.